Previous scholarship on the analysis of Takemitsu's music has focused much on pitch structure and texture. There has been relatively little concern for his treatment of phrase rhythm. This paper will examine Takemitsu's *Requiem for Strings* (1957) with an original analytical approach that combines durational proportions in the pacing of events with techniques of film scoring with which Takemitsu was becoming involved during the 1950's.
I will demonstrate that Takemitsu's experiments with pacing and form in the *Requiem* suggest certain aspects of temporal continuity which can also be found in film scoring. The calculation of durational spans and their relation will be used as a basis for my discussion of pacing in the *Requiem.* I will also demonstrate that a high percentage of the pacing in the *Requiem* on both local and large-scale levels exhibits a remarkable proportional consistency, indicating that the composer is strongly guided by an absolute durational time sense.
In addition, I will show how the temporal proportional ratio of 1: 1 plays a significant role in regulating the formal layout of the piece. The exploration of the temporal continuity and musical form in the *Requiem* will demonstrate the consistency of Takemitsu's compositional choices within an analytical framework derived from film music.
was educated in Singapore where she held a performance diploma as a Piano Licentiate from the Trinity College of London and as a graduate of The Royal Schools of Music, U.K.. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the National University of Singapore. At Ohio University she earned her first Masters in Piano Performance-Pedagogy. She then came to Boston University and earned her second Masters degree in music theory. Still at Boston University, Ms Koh is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Musicology, with a double concentration in music history and music theory.
Ms. Koh's research interests include the musical aesthetics and compositional systems of twentienth-century composers, East-West cross cultural studies, and the music of Toru Takemitsu. From 1992-96 Ms. Koh was a teaching assistant in music theory and a class piano instructor at Boston University. She is currently an instructor in the department of musicology at Boston University. Ms. Koh is working on her dissertation on the writings and music of Toru Takemitsu. She also contributes program notes and concert reviews for contemporary music concerts.